Inspirational Women in Technology

In honour of Ada Lovelace day today 24th March 09.

After hearing about this idea I started to think about who I could write about, and this exposed how few women I could think of. But for me the person I would have wanted to write about is Ada herself. I had heard about her some time ago. Ada sounds like one of those deep thinkers who can see beyond the imideate limitations of the days technology. The thought that someone could have written a computer program before the electric light bulb had been invented, well when i first heard this to me she sounded like a genius of the highest order.

If I was not so tired i would also write about how interesting i find helen sharman, but i guess i can edit this in the future so maybe this line will be replaced with a little about her too.

She should be an inpiration to all thinkers in what ever field.

Timing

The saying goes, the secret to great comedy is timing, well the secret to the comedy that is my life is also timing.

You can't affect the order in which things happen to you or when they happen, and you sure can't help how you feel about them either, so best just see it all for the comic story it is, accept it and hopefully enjoy it.

Body Image

I confess I only read the early chapters of "The Beauty Myth" as with so many books I intend to get back to it one day. I wonder what percentage of people are unhappy with how they look, I am assuming it is extremely high.

The very things we find most ugly about our bodies are often the very same thing that someone else finds most attractive or cute about us.

Just rambling I know, but it's one of my current thoughts at the moment.

Well in the interests of improving my own feelings about my body image I have included this half naked picture of myself.

Open Source

OK I am sure that many people far more qualified than me have written many words on the wonders of open source, regardless I am going to add some more.

I first came across ubuntu pretty much by chance when I purchased a web server that had it as the installed operating system. There was a choice of systems, I think my choice was based in no small part because I liked the sound of the name, trivial but true. This led me to want to learn more about what ubuntu was, procrastinator as I am, approximately 18 months later i am running my laptop on ubuntu and am a total - podcast listening - convert to ubuntu.

Open source software is the future, I am sure of it, for so many different reasons, not just because but in no small part because of the lack of cost.

I am now thinking with an open source mind for all of my future projects, the one I am most excited about is my open source movie. A feature film I intend to make - at last after many years of planning to - will be totally and in as pure a way as possible open source, all the components are to be open source, script, music, visuals, sound, all of it. I await with understated, patient but no less tremendous excitement to see how it will turn out.

Cry Like A Baby

My daughter was watching some TV celebrity show, with celebrities skating or something, anyway the important thing than when the loosing couple for that week got voted out she was uncontrollably upset, she did not want them to have to go home.

Watching Disney's Lady and the Tramp with her also brings out what you would expect, crying when sad things happen to people (or animals). As adults we get so desensitised to everything in order for us to function. We accept many sadnesses around us, we close our eyes to it. But we then get too good at just closing our eyes, we eventually learn to close our eyes to everything.

Is not inactivity while others are suffering the greatest violence a person can effect?

Marine Lance Cpl. Eric J. Bernholtz

I happend across this guy browsing through flickr.com

I wanted to read more about him, and hearing more about him has touched me, he seemed like a nice guy.

What a shitty thing war is.

http://www.militarycity.com/valor/1013380.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52961928@N00/
319688800/in/set-72157594415476434/

Disaster Response in 2005

"ooh ooh better not send any trucks or helicopters yet, I have not checked with the PR people whether that would look good and have not checked with the lawyers, can we send trucks, what if someone complains and sues me, ooh ooh don't know what to do, too scared to actually get off my butt and f***ing help people who are suffering and dieing"

Saving the world through whatever you are good at

I once heard a phrase "Saving the world with perl". The perl it refers to is the programming language. I think this means that if you do what you do with a good heart and an honest and open mind, with a bit of thought for the rest of the world, well then the world will be saved.

It is hard to see how or were our little contributions to the world have their impact. But they do have impact. So if we try our best to do what we do with honesty, maybe some way down the road the world will improve because of our actions.